Dear Sadharmik brothers and sisters,
Jai Jinendra!

Jain Avenue, an online monthly magazine by JAINA India Foundation, has published their second issue. The magazine aims to be a global interactive platform for discussion of contemporary Jain issues like Jain Unity, Climate Change, Physical, Mental, and Spiritual well-being, and social engineering. Read more about the 2nd issue of the magazine below.

Regarding the JAINA Sadharmik Bhakti Committee to help the needy and the poor Jain families in India as explained in our previous newsletter please note that the donations we receive will be sent through the following reputable NGO's with proper FCRA documentation.

• Samkit Charitable Trust.
• Samast Mahajan Aadi Jin Yuva Mandal
• Vardhman Parivar and Vardhman Sanskar Dham

Many Sadharmik brothers in India need help. Please click on Sadharmik Bhakti Fund Button below to donate.

JAINA congratulates Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (SRLC) for receiving the CSR Health Impact Awards 2020 in COVID Social Champion Charity Category for leading from the front & serving communities affected by the pandemic! and touching the lives of lakhs of people through their remarkable community service. Details given below.

Join the last day of once-a-year Sadhana of Mahaprabhavak Uvasaggaharm Stotra with Shree Namramuni Maharaj Saheb on 26th September. See details below.

The Jain Society of Pittsburgh celebrated Paryushan and Das Lakshan Parv virtually. Also, read about their continuous virtual events since March this year.

Please encourage your children and youth to join a weekly virtual Workshop session on Jainism conducted by the JAINA Education Committee for children in North America to learn about Jain fundamentals and its practical application in day to day life.

YJA gives Khub Khub Anumodana to all youth who took vows or completed tap this Paryushan. They were also able to raise $10,001 for Sadharmik Bhakti and Jiv Daya. Read more about it below.

Young Jain Professionals cordially invites you to the 4th Annual YJP National Conference which will be held from October 8th to 25th, 2020, in a 4-session series, on the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th of October. Joining details are given below.

Sincerely,

Mahesh Wadher
JAINA President

Jain Avenue, a monthly online magazine by JAINA India Foundation (an entity of JAINA), has published their 2nd Issue which talks on various interesting topics like:

• Jainism in Bengal – Resourceful Research
• Should Jains care about climate / environmental issues? - a most appropriate question with some answer
• Jainism – the most essential element to be an enlightened - young writer looking at Jainism in the context of today’s life
• Jainism before Shraman Bhagwan Mahavira? – A Historical Perspective.
• Concept of Six Essentials – Sadh Avashyak – Must do or not?
• Let us understand Jain Terminology: Anekantvad – Most important part of Jainism
• Say No to More - Young Vision and Amazing Direction – Positive Approach with Mentor Rahul Kapoor Jain.

JAIN Avenue Issue - 02

The magazine mission is ‘Voice of the Practitioners of Jain Dharma’. Following the JAINA tradition, the magazine will strive to be non-sectarian. It will have well-researched articles by scholars and the students of Jain Dharma from around the globe. The team plans to make the magazine a global interactive platform for discussion of contemporary Jain issues like Jain Unity, Climate Change, Physical, Mental, and Spiritual well-being, and social engineering. Instead of just presenting the articles, it will encourage dialogue between the authors and the readers.

In case you missed out on the inaugular issue-01. Please Click on the link below

Jain Avenue - Inaugural Issue

We hope all of you had uplifting Aradhana during the Paryushan and Das Lakshana and are in good shata. As all of you are aware, COVID-19 has caused devastating effects all over the world. With this message, we are reaching out to you for desperately needed help for certain Sadharmik families in India, who are experiencing unfortunate financial conditions made worse by COVID-19. Many mid and low-income Jain families are going through severe hardships, but many are too proud to ask for help. Such circumstances have caused extenuating situations such as a 75-year-old shravika taking care of her 52-year-old mentally-disabled son while accepting cooking jobs at three different homes; Pathshala teachers going 5 months without salaries; a 68-year-old shravak working as a night watchman to support his household with two grandchildren and a daughter-in-law because his 30-year-old son passed away; a prestigious shop owner, who once was a Sanghpathi and viewed as well off, not being able to afford a bag of groceries. There have even been reported cases of suicide. Hearing these heart-wrenching stories underscore the hardships these families are going through.

We would like to raise $250,000 for this cause that will allow us to deliver Rs 5,000 to one thousand needy families for 4 months.

JAINA is regularly receiving appeals for help and has formed a Sadharmik Bhakti Committee under the leadership of Dr. Jayesh Shah, President of Jain Center of Southern California. The need for funds is urgent. Initially, JAINA will work with Samkit Jain Charitable Trust in Mumbai and Samast Mahajan Trust, which are providing financial support to families every month. The Sadharmik Bhakti Committee is hoping to raise as many funds as it can this year to support many underprivileged families in India and is looking forward to your generous donation. Our goal is to raise $250,000 for this cause that will allow us to deliver Rs 5,000 to one thousand needy families for 4 months.

The message of Paryushan and Das Lakshana serves as a reminder of our five basic Kartavyas (duties). Sadharmik Bhakti is one of them. It is not just our duty but is our responsibility to help our Sadharmic Jain families during this unprecedented and difficult time. We urge every one of you to donate generously for this noble cause.

Your donation is Tax deductible.

JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations in North America) is a Non-Profit tax exempt organization, registered under IRS Section 501 (C) (3) EL# 54-1280028

Your donation checks need to be made payable to JAINA. In the memo put Sadharmik Bhakti Fund.

Mail to :
Ashok Savla 8843 1/2 Longden Avenue,Temple City, CA- 91780

Message from Respected Acharya Uday Vallabh Suri Maharaj Saheb.

Listen: Message from Acharya Uday Vallabhji (mp3)

JAINA congratulates Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care (SRLC) upon receiving the “COVID Social Champions Award (Gold)” at the CSR Health Impact Awards 2020 for their remarkable community service. The SRLC organization has touched the lives of lakhs of people through over 2,500 volunteers across 5 continents and 50 cities with their multi-pronged response including the distribution of food, ration kits, daily essentials, masks, sanitizers, medical equipment etc.

The award recognises the remarkable impact of its ongoing global coronavirus relief initiatives providing holistic support to affected communities, frontline professionals and animals. Read more about the SRLC initiative here.

The Jain Society of Pittsburgh celebrated Paryushan and Das Lakshan Parv virtually. They had discourses by Jitubhai Shah from Bombay, India. Everyday Nav-ang Puja was performed by members following their temple’s safety guidelines. JSOP also celebrated Mahavir Janma Kalyanak virtually. Snatra Puja was performed at each individual’s home where members completed all the rituals on the idol or a picture of Tirthankara. During Bhagwan Mahavir’s Janma Vanchan and swinging of Parna was done calling each donors’ name while swinging Parnu on their behalf. Jivdaya, Vaiavachcha, and Sadhrmik Vatsalya donation were collected. Samvatsari Pratikaraman was done at home. Later, they did Tapasvi Bahuman and Bhavna virtually.

Das Lakshan:
During Das Lakshan, they had lectures by Dr. Priyadarshna Jain from Chennai for ten days. Each day, one of the ten virtues of Das Lakshan was explained by children/youth. Kshmavani Puja was performed virtually from the Hindu Jain Temple.

Other activities:
Since March, JSOP has started Navkar, Uvasggharm, and Laghu Shanti Jap due to the Pandemic. They are doing it every Thursday and Sunday. The center also did 50 days of Aradhna chain in which many members participated in performing Bahya and Abhyantar tap.

The JAINA Education Committee announces a unique opportunity of weekly virtual Workshop Sessions for Children in North America to learn about Jain fundamentals and its practical application in day to day life. This workshop is designed for youth in response to the requests received by the JAINA Education Committee.

Group I - 5-8 Years - Maximum Students - 15
Group II - 9-12 Years - Maximum Students - 20

This 9-week program will be conducted from October 18th to December 19th, 2020 at 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM ES.

Purpose of the workshop:

• To teach core Jain values and principles to our children in a way they can understand and relate to
• To empower our children to make good choices, to develop good characteristics, and in the process to become a resilient and compassionate human being
• A humble effort to establish a strong foundation and to cultivate the right mindset in children that will enable them to navigate life skillfully.

Workshop joining and other details are here.

Youth Tapasvi Recognition
YJA is thankful and gives Khub Khub Anumodana to all youth who took vows or completed tap this Paryushan.

Each vow-taker was asked about the impact they felt as a result of taking on their commitment. Find the full list of vow-takers, as well as their responses, in this article. YJA hopes their words inspire all of us to work towards our own spiritual upliftment!

Fundraiser Update
During Paryushan and Das Lakshan, YJA was able to raise $10,001 for Sadharmik Bhakti and Jiv Daya to be donated to Shree Navkar Savar Kendra. These funds will be used to help Jains who have lost their jobs and are in need of financial assistance to feed their families in India, as well as to protect animals at various shelters that are weak and feeble or are in threat of being sold to slaughterhouses.

Young Jain Professionals cordially invites you to the 4th Annual YJP National Conference highlighting 2020 topics focused on Advocacy, Resilience, and Innovation. The virtual conference will be held in 4-session series, on the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th of October from 2 PM to 5 PM EST. The conference is open to all professionals both nationally and internationally, who want to learn and grow with the Jain community.

Please join YJP in the month of October, from the comfort of your own home. Registration and other details are here.